


Puppy Eyes

by Inbetween_days



Series: Tmr oneshots [6]
Category: The Maze Runner (Movies), The Maze Runner Series - All Media Types, The Maze Runner Series - James Dashner
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Music, Denial, Friends to Lovers, Lots and lots of Pining, M/M, Mistletoe, Oblivious Newt (Maze Runner), Slow Burn, extreme awkwardness, lots of movies and cuddling, sometimes i cringe when i write out the dumb shit they do i swear, very serious christmas decorating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:53:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27938387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inbetween_days/pseuds/Inbetween_days
Summary: “I promised myself I would never fall in lovewith you.But it was 4 am, and we were laughing way toohard,and I felt happy for the first time in a longtime,And I knew I was screwed."
Relationships: Newt/Thomas (Maze Runner)
Series: Tmr oneshots [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2034001
Comments: 10
Kudos: 52
Collections: Maze Runner Secret Santa 2020





	Puppy Eyes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [breathe_without_lungs](https://archiveofourown.org/users/breathe_without_lungs/gifts).



> This was so much fun to write! I really hope you like it :)

Newt walked into _his_ apartment (keyword being _his_ ), locked the door behind him, and put his coat on the rack. He traveled further in, fully intending to have a cup of tea and binge-watch some new show, only to be met with his best friend sprawled out on his couch snoring and drooling. 

He let out a soft groan, “Really, Tommy?” He went over to him and gave him a rather hard shove (unintentionally, of course) which resulted in Thomas crashing to the floor and Newt erupting into a fit of laughter. “Are- are you- alright?” he said through his giggling, barely able to breathe.

Thomas sat up half-awake and glared at Newt through lidded eyes, giving him the middle finger. “Besides the developing bruise on my ass, yeah, Newt, I’d say I’m alright.” He got up and stumbled a bit, grabbing onto Newt to stabilize himself. “That was a dick move.”

“You wanna know what’s a dick move, Tommy?” He could hear Thomas grumble out a ‘no’, but he told him anyways. “A dick move is barging into your friend’s flat unannounced and acting as if you own the place,” he gave him a tight-lipped smile. Newt didn’t have a problem with Thomas coming over, he just loved to tease him about it. 

“Well, it’s your fault for giving me a key.”

“I never gave you a key! You went and copied mine!” Newt threw his hands in the air in disbelief. 

“Yeah, but you let me.” Thomas had gone into the kitchen and begun making them both tea as if he were in his own house.

“You _stole_ my key while I was _sleeping!_ Totally not the same thing.”

“Might as well be,” He gave him a smile as he brought in their mugs, handing Newt’s over before sitting next to him on the couch. “Besides, if I didn’t come over all the time then you’d be all alone. Like a sad puppy that hasn’t been adopted yet.” He gave Newt a frown, feigning sadness. 

Newt sipped his tea and found it a little too hot so he sat it on the table, “Well, unlike you, some people like to be alone from time to time.” He crossed his arms and stuck his tongue out at Thomas. 

“Who would want to be alone?” A few crumbs spilled from his mouth as he spoke through whatever snack he was eating.

Newt grimaced in disgust, “That’s revolting, Tommy. Don’t talk with your mouth full.”

Thomas looked down at the mess he made, “Sorry.” Then, he decided it would be a good decision to wipe them off, directly onto the floor. 

“I hope you know you’re going to sweep my floor later.”

“Will I though?” he reached for the tv remote before Newt snatched it from him.

“Yes. Yes, you will.”

# ~

"Hello?" Newt spoke into his phone, waiting for Thomas' voice to come through the speaker. He was on his way home, walking briskly to try and escape the stinging wind. It was October and freezing. He hugged his coat closer to him to try and stay warm.

"Newt! We should have a movie marathon!" Thomas sounded way too excited for Newt's liking. He was tired from a long day at work. Since it was so cold outside people escaped by entering the cozy, warm, bookstore. 

He caved anyway. "What kind of movies?"

"Umm," he could hear shuffling on the other end of the phone, he was probably pacing. It was a habit of his. "We could do… Harry Potter. How does that sound?"

Newt scoffed, "It sounds great, but only if you don’t try to do an accent." Thomas had proved multiple times that his accent was absolutely _horrible_.

"No promises!" He could hear the smile on his face. 

He sighed, pulling out his keys to unlock his door. "Meet me at my place in twenty."

The door swung open before he even touched the knob. Thomas still had the phone to his ear with a wicked grin on his face, "Already here."

Newt groaned and ran a hand down his face, "Remind me to take that key from you."

Thomas frowned, "Oh, you wouldn't."

"You bet your arse I would." He dropped his things by the door before dramatically falling onto his couch, throwing an arm over his face. "Set it up, would you? I'm absolutely knackered."

Thomas leaned over to grab the remote and dvds, "Dude, stop using your _British slang_. You know I can't understand anything you say when you do."

"Maybe that's why I use it," he smirked, "It's amusing when you try to figure it out, makes your face go all funny," He laughed when Thomas gave him a glare and playful shove as he sat down. 

He crossed his arms like a child, "Well you're a _proper_ _wanker_ ," he chuckled when Newt put a hand to his face and pushed him, (with quite a bit of force, he might add.) "Whatever, you know you love me."

"Yeah, yeah, play the movie already." Newt tried to seem nonchalant, but he could feel the heat rise to his cheeks. _What the hell is going on? It's just Tommy. Your best friend. Nothing else, nothing more. Why was this even crossing your mind?_ Newt shook his head to clear his thoughts. _Get it together,_ he chided himself. 

"Alright, alright." He hit play and sat back, folding an arm behind his head for support. Newt stared for a minute, (unknowingly, of course,) watching how his muscles moved and some of the moles dotting along his body. "Newt?" 

He flinched at the interruption. "What? Sorry," he stammered, hands twisting together in embarrassment. 

Thomas gave him a weird look, "You okay?"

He nodded a little too much and a little too fast, "Yep, yeah. Yeah, I'm good." _Way to play it cool, Newt. That was awful._ He closed his eyes tight, trying to cool himself down. (It wasn't working.)

"Okay…" his tone was wary, he obviously didn't believe Newt. And understandably so, he was acting odd. 

"I'm gonna go change!" He cringed at his own voice, _way too loud_ , he noted. He got up and backed away from the couch, "You want some sweatpants or something? Maybe a jumper or…" 

Thomas looked at him blankly, "Newt, I'm already wearing sweats." He motioned towards his lower half, clad in grey sweatpants. 

Newt facepalmed, "Right, sorry." He turned and speed walked to his room sheepishly. _How dumb can you get, really?_ _Learn to look down genius._ He groaned as he pulled out some comfy clothes, a red tee, and black pants. The shirt was _definitely_ too big for him, it hung off one of his shoulders, leaving his collarbones and some of his chest exposed. He ran a hand through his hair before stepping back into the living room. He got a strange look from Thomas upon his arrival. "What?"

Thomas cleared his throat, "Nothing," he shrugged, "That shirt is so big on you, it's kind of cute, really." He looked down as he said that last part and Newt thought he saw the faintest blush on his cheeks.

"Why thank you, Tommy. I was planning on going to a runway in this very outfit. What do you think?" Humour was his defense system, any time he was embarrassed or awkward, he would crack a few jokes to try and lighten up the mood. Internally, he was freaking the fuck out. He could feel his heart beating out of his chest. _Calm down, Newt._

Thomas barked a laugh, "I think you should definitely do it," his eyes shined with mirth, "You'd beat everyone. No doubt about it." His smile beamed like the sun and Newt wanted to bathe in it forever. 

Newt put a hand on his chin, feigning contemplation, “I’ll think about it.” He shrugged before sitting back down. After a few minutes, he noticed that they sat noticeably closer than before. There was about a foot between their legs and less than that from their shoulders. Since they were both leaning slightly into the couch, they were almost touching. He could feel the heat radiating off of Thomas. “Do you want a snack?” He turned to him in question, trying to distance himself. He didn’t want to do anything he might regret later on. _And what, exactly, do you want to do?_

“Depends on what you’ve got.” He hadn’t pulled his attention from the screen and it gave Newt more time to study his side profile. _He does have a nice face. Nice cheekbones, cute nose, and an absolutely amazing jawline- stop Newt. Stop that right now._

“Umm… well I’ve got some crisps, some biscuits, and I think I have some gummy worms?” He ended the phrase with doubt, he didn’t know what he had. He needed to go grocery shopping, he couldn’t even remember the last time he did. 

Thomas turned to him, “I’ll have some _chips_ and some _cookies._ You and your Britishness,” he shook his head and let out a breathy laugh, “Who the hell calls cookies _biscuits_ ? I can kind of get the crisps for chips thing, but _biscuits_? That’s where I draw the line.” He drew an imaginary one in the air and Newt only laughed, Thomas joining in a few moments after. 

Newt scoffed, “Oh whatever.” He made his way to the kitchen, making sure to tug on Thomas’ hair as he walked by, receiving an incredibly dirty look. He chuckled and grabbed the promised items. When he returned, though, he found Thomas completely sprawled across the entirety of the couch. He nudged him with his leg, “Scoot.”

Thomas hummed, “I don’t think I will.” He earned a biscuit to the head for that one and it immediately broke apart, coating Thomas’ hair in crumbs. “Dude!” He sat up and ran his hands through his hair haphazardly, shaking the crumbs out. “What was that for?!”

Newt shrugged, “I needed you to move. It worked didn’t it?” He gave him a smart smirk before sitting down and handing him the bag of crisps and setting the tin of biscuits on the coffee table. “Sorry for the biscuit though, didn’t expect it to crumble like that,” he offered in apology. 

“It’s called a _cookie,_ ” Thomas hissed at him.

Newt rolled his eyes, “Sorry for the _cookie_ then.” Thomas smiled in acceptance and turned, his attention consumed by the movie once more. 

-

The movie went on and they both found themselves closer together and if one had asked, they would say it was only because they were sharing the bag of crisps. Newt’s eyes drifted to Thomas throughout the entire movie despite him not wanting to. He couldn’t help it. Thomas just had a pretty face. _Pretty moles, pretty dimples, and pretty eyes._ Oh, how Newt could get lost in those eyes. He felt that he had never fully appreciated them. He never really _looked_ at them. But he was now, and he didn’t want to stop. 

Amid all his admiration, Newt noticed a few more crumbs in his hair. “Tommy, here look at me.” He didn’t give him a choice, however. Instead, he guided his chin using his fingers, causing him to look at him fully. Thomas’ eyes were wide and full of what Newt assumed was curiousness. “You have more crumbs in your hair. Stay still, I’ll get them.” Thomas uttered a small ‘okay’ as Newt went to work. As he was plucking the pieces from his hair, he would look down occasionally to find Thomas already staring at him. _Where else is he supposed to look, idiot? You’re all up in his face._ But he still couldn’t stop the blush from rising to his cheeks. 

He gave Thomas an awkward smile once he finished, “All done.” He gave his hair one more swipe, relishing the way Thomas closed his eyes and damn near _purred_ under his touch. 

“Oh, thanks.” He was still staring at Newt. “Um- do you think you could still play with my hair? It felt nice.” He looked at Newt in question.

Newt nodded swiftly, _anything for you. Why would you think that?_ He was having an internal conversation with himself. And maybe that made him crazy, but he still did it. “Sure. Get comfortable I guess.”

Thomas grinned, “Thanks.” He proceeded to grab a pillow and place it on Newt’s lap, stretching out before laying on it. “Hmmm,” he sighed as he tucked his hands under his head, shuffling a little as he got comfortable. “M’comfy now. Get to it, Newtie.” 

Newt gave his hair another little tug, softer this time, before doing as he was told. “You’re so bossy.” He dragged a hand through the brunette locks, scratching at his scalp occasionally and earning a satisfied noise each time. 

“Yeah. But it gets me what I want. Obviously.”

“Obviously,” Newt repeated with a small smirk. 

-

“Give me my shoe back..” 

Newt laughed quietly as he heard Thomas talk in his sleep. He couldn’t possibly imagine what he was dreaming about, but he listened and tried to figure it out. 

“Stop… don’t do that… that’s my favourite plate, please…”

It was taking a lot of Newt’s willpower to keep his giggles from waking Thomas. 

“But… those are scary…” He trailed off for quite some time, “Come on… you know I… can’t solve that... I hate puzzles...”

Newt had no idea what he was dreaming about and it had gone like this for about an hour. Thomas spewing incoherent mumbles was more entertaining than the movies, long forgotten and left to play the credits. He smiled as he looked down. Even though he was having some weird-ass dreams, he looked peaceful. 

And as much as Newt wanted to deny it, he was glad that Thomas came over so often. He didn’t know what he would do to fill the time without him. 

# ~

Newt was dozing on the couch, tucked under his favourite blanket late at night. Just as he closed his eyes, a loud bang resonated throughout his apartment. He groaned and covered his head with the blanket. “What are you doing here this time, Tommy?” Already knowing the intruder.

“Newt! You’ll never believe what just happened.” He came over and ripped the blanket of Newt entirely, causing him to curl into himself. Thomas kneeled down next to the couch and laid a hand on Newt’s side, fingers brushing the exposed part of his hip. It made Newt’s skin tingle and burn. 

“What can I not believe that is so important that you have to come in at-” He looked at his clock “-11:30 at night?” he asked tiredly, shifting to try and shake off Thomas’ hand. 

Thomas showed him his phone, “Brenda just asked me out on a date!” He was excited, that much was clear and Newt’s heart dropped to the floor. _Fuck_.

Newt grabbed the blanket and covered himself again, trying to hide the full body flush he was sporting. _Fuck fuck fuck._ “Okay? And?” He was lucky his voice didn’t shake. 

Thomas pulled the covers off of his face and looked at him in disbelief, “And? You have to help me figure out what to say.” 

He sighed and sat up, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Well, do you want to go on the date with her?”

“Yeah, I really do.”

“Then just tell her that, you idiot,” he growled. Thomas stilled in consideration, Newt could practically see the gears turning in his head. “Don’t fry your brain there, Tommy. You might need to use what little there is later on,” he could hear the annoyance in his voice. 

“Oh fuck off,” Thomas glared at him before continuing what seemed like his most important decision ever. “What if that’s too straight forward though? Like what if it looks like I’m super needy or too enthusiastic?”

“Aren’t you?” _Clearly._

Thomas scoffed, and rolled his eyes, “Yeah, but I don’t want her to know that. I want it to be more subtle, like I’m trying to drop _hints_ that I really _like_ y- _her_ .” He looked at Newt as if he were missing something obvious, completely ignoring his near switch of words. _What was he going to say? Was he going to say ‘you’? You’re being ridiculous, why would he say that?_

“And why don’t you just tell _her_ that upfront?” He was getting confused, still unsure of what they were actually talking about. It felt as if there were something buried underneath it, a hidden meaning. 

Thomas sighed, “Cause it’ll make me seem… I don’t know how to say it, but you get me right? You know what I’m getting at?” Thomas looked at him with pleading eyes. Puppy dog eyes really, and Newt couldn’t say no to those. 

“Not really, but I guess I can try and help you.” _Bloody hell, I’m weak._

Thomas gave him a grin that almost seemed disappointed, but Newt dismissed it, assuming it was only because he couldn’t relate to what he was trying to say. “Thank you.” Newt gave him a dejected smile, but Thomas didn’t notice it. “Okay, so here’s what she said…” He stopped listening after that, he didn’t want to know. He knew he had no right to feel jealous, but he couldn’t help it. Thomas was his best friend, and he didn’t want to pick the pieces of Thomas back up if this didn’t work out well. 

It had happened a few times before. Thomas would be totally into someone and they would either: be not interested at all, or let him down later. Thomas loved hard, he loved with all his might, and that was probably the problem. He gave too much to a person without realising that he deserved something in return. Newt had tried to tell him this multiple times, tried to tell him that he deserved better, but he never listened. And every time Thomas fell apart Newt was there to put him back together. 

“So what do you think I should say?” Thomas snapped him out of his thoughts. 

Newt hummed, his eyes scanning over the text. It was the usual, ‘do you wanna get together and go for coffee sometime?’ Newt honestly didn’t understand why Thomas made such a big deal out of this. “Well, If I were you I would say… ‘yes, that sounds like fun, can wait’- with an exclamation point and a smiley emoji. But not the actual emoji, do the one with the colon and the parenthesis.” 

Thomas looked at him suspiciously, “That’s it? Nothing else?” 

Newt rolled his eyes, “Yes, Tommy. That’s it.” Thomas groaned, “What is going on with you? You’re acting like it's the end of the world for christ’s sake.” It was beginning to get on his nerves. 

“I just… I don’t want to mess this up. It’s more than just a date, I wish y- _she_ could just read my mind...” He had a frustrated look on his face. That hurt Newt’s heart a little. Thomas always meant well, but sometimes things just didn’t work out in his favour. But Newt didn’t fail to notice his little slip up again.

Newt looked over and saw his head had drooped a little so he placed his arms around him and gave him a tight, reassuring hug. “You aren’t going to mess this up, Tommy. I know it.” He pulled back and made direct eye contact, trying to convey his emotions as much as he could. Not the jealous and disappointed ones, but the supporting ones instead. Thomas’ eyes shone with something else though. Newt could see the gratitude in them, but there was something else, something that seemed like desire or want. He dismissed it, blaming it on his mind for trying to make him think that Thomas felt the same way. 

“How do you know?”

Newt closed his eyes and let out a shallow breath, “I know because you are a great guy, Tommy. You’re the best person I’ve ever met. You care for others, you support others, and you love others. You love with your entire being.” He opened his eyes and paused for a moment, taking all of Thomas’ features in, “And if she can’t see that, then she’s the most idiotic person ever.” He smirked at Thomas and earned a beam in response, making his heart do backflips. 

Thomas dove forward, entrapping him in a bone-crushing embrace. Newt could feel his face pressed into his neck. “Thank you, Newt.” Newt shivered at the words against his neck. 

Newt giggled, “Stop that, it tickles.” Thomas let out a small huff, only making it worse. “Tommy…” Newt warned, “If you don’t stop you’re going to regret it,” His words had no venom, but he'd tried his best to sound threatening. He knew it hadn’t worked when he felt fingers trailing up and down his sides, a sure sign of what was to come. “Don’t even think about it-” He tried to push Thomas off in time but he failed, yelping as fingers dug into his ribs. “Tommy! Co- come o-on, Tommy,” He took a sharp inhale, “Tommy, stop! Oof-” He was pushed on the couch and the air left his lungs on impact. He felt his arms get pinned above him, preventing him from fighting back. 

Thomas laughed, “What were you saying?” he hummed, feigning contemplation, “Oh, that’s right! You said I was going to regret it, didn’t you?” His fingers slowed enough for Newt to catch a breath. “Well, I don’t think I am,” he tittered in a sing-song voice, “I think this is very fun,” He smirked before diving back in, crushing Newt under his weight, making it harder and harder for him to keep his composure. 

Newt tried to curl into himself on instinct, but it was no use, Thomas had him pinned. Unable to fight with his hands, he tried to jostle around more to throw him off, but that didn’t work either. He was just a writhing mess under his best friend. “Please, Tommy!” he wheezed, “Tom-my, come on! I-” He couldn’t finish any of his sentences. He managed to free his arms from Thomas’ grasp and immediately went to grab his hands, stopping them from their merciless attack. “Stop,” he huffed, “Please…” Thomas relented then, sitting back up and climbing off Newt. 

“You should see your face right now,” He wiped tears from his eyes, “You’re as red as a tomato!” Newt rolled his eyes and shoved him. “Alright, I’m- I’m sorry…” He tried to sound serious but failed when he began howling of laughter again. 

Newt felt his face go stony, he wanted _revenge,_ and he was going to get it. He pounced and shoved Thomas down onto the couch. He climbed up and began straddling Thomas, pinning his hands above his head like he had done to Newt before. Now it was his turn to steal Thomas’ breath away. He immediately began tickling his sides, finding the extra sensitive spots. “Ha! How does it feel, Tommy?” He leaned down, getting into his face, “I bet it doesn’t feel good, does it?” He laughed maniacally as Thomas wiggled around, trying to escape Newt’s clutches. He was stronger than he looked though, so holding Thomas down wasn’t too big of a hardship. 

“Newt!” His eyes were squeezed shut, his mouth was taking in shallow breaths. “Please, Ne- ewt… Come on! I- I’m so- orry.” Newt had a smile plastered on his face, hands unrelenting. “Newt!”

Newt made a pouty face, “Are we regretting it now, Tommy?” Thomas nodded as best as he could. 

“Yes!” His eyes bulged open, pleading with Newt. “Regretting it ve- very mu- much!” Newt didn’t let up, wanting to punish him a little longer. “Newt… Newt, please… I can’t-” was all Thomas could wheeze. Newt relished the redness in his face and the sharp, quick, rise and fall of his chest. He gave his fingers one last graze along his sides before stopping. 

He crawled off Thomas and collapsed backward onto the couch, exhaling heavily. “Whew, I don’t know about you, but I’m absolutely beat. I’ve got first shift tomorrow so I ought to turn in for the night. You’re always welcome to stay, just don’t drool on the couch too much.”

“You sound like an old man. Who the hell says they’re ‘beat’ anymore?” Thomas threw a pillow at him, “Old people, that’s who. Anyway, only old people go to bed this early, stay up just a little longer. Please? For me?” Newt had to force himself to not turn around, knowing he would be met with pleading puppy eyes if he did. 

“Sorry, Tommy. Not tonight. Sleep well.” He withdrew into his room, wishing he hadn’t. 

# ~

Newt looked out his window and watched as the raindrops raced down, pooling on his windowsill. He liked the rain, he always had. It was a nice excuse to stay inside and he loved the sound it made as it pattered against the rooftops. 

He sighed and curled further into the couch, clutching his book closer. Luckily, he had already requested the day off, so he sat and read. One of his favourite pastimes. He was interrupted by a loud hammering on his door. _Who the hell would be out in this weather? It's absolutely pouring outside._ He set his things down and made his way to the door.

A few more bangs on his door, "What is your prob- oh." It was Thomas, of course. "The hell are you doing out here in the rain like this, Tommy? You'll catch a cold." He opened the door wide, assuming he would walk in. He was wrong. Thomas had grabbed his hand and pulled him out the door in a flash. "Tommy! What-"

"Oh hush, would you?" He dragged Newt down the corridor and the stairs before slamming through the front entrance. "Come on!"

Newt yelped as he felt the water drench him instantly, "What is wrong with you?" He screeched, voice raised in disbelief. 

Thomas gave him a look, "I want to dance in the rain," and said it with a tone that made it seem as if it was the most normal thing in the world. 

"And so you thought it'd be okay to drag me out here with you?"

Thomas grabbed both of his hands, "Yeah," he continued after Newt gave him an incredulous look, "I want to dance in the rain and I want you to dance with me, you idiot!" He laughed before swinging them around, "Come on, Newt!"

Newt laughed, "You're so childish!" But he complied, splashing around. Thomas looked ridiculous out there. He was completely soaked and laughing in a way that made his body shake. But that could've been the cold too. And Newt was sure he looked the same, he could feel his hair flopping down into his eyes and his cheeks hurting from how much he was smiling. 

Thomas grabbed Newt by the waist and picked him up, spinning them in a circle, before setting him back down. Once he had, they were chest to chest, breathing heavily and grinning.

He squeezed Thomas' arms, "Sorry to cut this short, but I'm freezing. Can we go inside now?" He didn't want to stop but his teeth were chattering and he couldn't feel his toes. Thomas' smile diminished but he nodded anyway. 

Thomas groaned in relief as they stepped back into the warmth of Newt's apartment, "It feels amazing in here." 

"God, it felt like it was ten degrees out there! I'm so cold…" Newt sighed as he trailed to the bathroom for towels to dry their hair. 

Thomas smirked at him once he returned, "It was worth it." He grabbed the towel and rubbed it on his head, drying up most of the rain in his hair. 

Newt looked down before doing the same, "Yeah, it was." After he had finished he realised that his clothes were incredibly wet, that he desperately needed a warm shower, and a dry set of clothes. Thomas needed that too, “You should take a hot shower, don’t want you to get sick,” he gave Thomas a small grin, “I’ll grab you some clothes for when you step out.” He did as he said and returned, offering them to Thomas. “Don’t take up all the hot water.” Thomas mumbled a ‘thanks’ before heading to the bathroom.

Newt sighed as he stripped out of his clothes, they made ugly plopping noises as they hit the hamper. He changed into new underwear before flopping down onto his bed, not bothering with the rest of an outfit considering he was going to get in the shower only a few minutes later. _Well, that was certainly spontaneous. But, then again, when is Tommy not spontaneous and crazy?_ The answer is never, that boy is wild. But in a good way. And Newt had to admit, it was fun. Crazy as all get out, but fun. 

_And Tommy looked cute out there, with his hair plastered across his forehead, smile on his face, and drenched clothes. I could see his muscles,_ Newt pointed out. And he was right, Thomas had (stupidly) not worn a hoodie or jacket of any kind, leaving him in only a t-shirt. It stuck to his skin, defining his chest and arms. Newt could barely look away, let alone bar it from his mind. It kept creeping in no matter how hard he tried to keep it out. Other thoughts were sneaking into his head as well. Thoughts of peeling that shirt off of Thomas and throwing it somewhere behind them. Thoughts of running his hands along his shoulders and down his chest. Thoughts of them- _Stop that. Seriously, what is wrong with you?_

Newt rolled over and groaned into one of his pillows, more frustrated than ever. What was going on? He was fine one day and then the next he was definitely _far from okay._ It was like all of a sudden he thought of Thomas in a different way, and he couldn’t find what could’ve changed his viewpoint. He couldn’t figure out why it had changed either. His train of thought was cut off when he heard the shower stop and the bathroom door open. He gathered a new set of clothes and went to go take his own shower. 

He passed Thomas on his way there, “Damn, Newt, you look as pale as a ghost!” He clapped him on the shoulder, a warm, welcome presence on Newt’s cold body. “Feel like one too. Go hop in the shower, Casper. There should still be some hot water left.” He winked as he walked by, taking a seat on the couch. 

Newt chuckled as he entered the bathroom, closing the door and turning on the faucet. He stripped before stepping into the warm stream. He sighed upon the contact. _Heavenly,_ he decided. 

_-_

“You hungry?” Thomas questioned as Newt came out of the bathroom, steam billowing out as well. 

“Very,” he watched as Thomas grabbed plates from the cabinets and placed something on them before turning around and handing one to him. “Pancakes?” 

Thomas smiled, “Yeah, why not?” He grabbed his own plate and joined Newt at the kitchen bar. “How was your shower?” 

Newt’s face reddened, “Fine… why?” He drew his brows together _, why would Tommy want to know about my shower?_

He shrugged, “Just wondering.” He shoved a fork full of food in his mouth. “Was hoping you had enough hot water.” 

“Oh,” _well that makes sense._ “Yeah, it was fine.” He ate some of his pancakes, silent for a while. “Um… how was yours?” Thomas only looked at him in confusion, “Your shower?”

“Oh! Oh, yeah, it was fine I guess. Just your usual shower,” he joked, smiling as he did. “You done?” He motioned at his plate so Newt looked down and noticed that it was empty. He nodded before handing it over so that it could be put in the sink. He watched as Thomas rinsed the dishes, seeing how his muscles moved against the back of his shirt. _How did I not notice that he was this built before?_ He looked away before Thomas could catch him staring. “You wanna watch something?”

“What, are you bored? But, yes, I do want to watch something. Just don’t expect me to pick it out.” They both knew that Newt could be pretty indecisive when it came to picking something out of such a large selection. 

“I’m not bored when I’m with you.”

Newt’s heart fluttered at that statement. _Is he being serious? What the hell is going on._ Newt smiled slightly, “I’m not bored when I’m with you either, Tommy.” He earned a matching grin, along with the beautiful sight of Thomas’ face brightening. 

Thomas patted the couch, “Come on then, Newtie.” Newt rolled his eyes, Thomas was the only one who got to say that. Anyone else that did it got a swift smack to whatever limb was closest to Newt. But, he obliged, sitting down closer to Thomas than intended. He was about to scoot away when Thomas threw an arm around his shoulders, keeping him in place. Suddenly the room was too hot and Newt could feel the heat rising to his face. He cleared his throat before making what he considered a bold move, placing his head on Thomas’ arm and curling into him a little more. They had cuddled a few times, yes, but this one felt different. Like it was supercharged with something Newt couldn’t name. 

-

They stayed up late that night, watching movie after movie, totally ignoring the fact that Newt would have to go to work the next morning. They also remained in that same position, pressed together with no space in between them. The time had reached 4 am and they were both tired but unwilling to go to sleep. Thomas put on a comedy to try and keep them entertained and awake, it worked. They ended up watching Napoleon Dynamite, one of Newt’s favourites. The humour might be a little dry, but it never failed to make him laugh. 

Newt had looked over at Thomas for the entirety of the night, but in his opinion, Thomas looked best when he was laughing. His eyes were always squinted and shining with glee, his mouth opened somewhat, and his dimples defined. That was Newt’s favourite. He liked him best when he looked happy. And he realised then that Thomas made him happy too. Anytime he smiled, Newt smiled. Anytime he laughed, Newt laughed along with him. And anytime he looked at Newt, he stared right back at him. 

_Shit,_ he thought _. I’m in love with my best friend. I’m in love with Tommy._

_I’m fucking screwed._

# ~

“How do I look?” Thomas stepped into Newt’s threshold wearing a fitted wine-red tee and some black jeans, holding his arms out in a ‘look at me’ gesture.

Newt could feel his throat tighten, _I wonder how he would look without his shirt on… Nope! Stop that!_ “You- uh… you look good!” He tried to cover his raspy voice with a small cough, but it didn’t go unnoticed. 

“You good?” Thomas asked, “You want me to grab you a drink?”

Newt scoffed, feeling the heat in his cheeks diminish, if only slightly. “No, it’s okay. I’ll get it myself considering that this is _my_ flat.” _Get over yourself, Newt. It’s never going to happen._

“Oh, Newtie, you know you love me.” _You don’t know how correct you are._ He gave Newt a wry up turn of his lips before slinging his arms around him, giving him a tight squeeze. He kept one arm on Newt’s shoulders as he filled his cup with water. “Thank you, by the way.”

“For?” Newt had moved to grab some ice. 

“For helping me figure out all this stuff with Brenda, I know it’s all kinda childish but I appreciate it.”

Newt only shrugged, turning to make his way back to the living room. “It’s no problem, Tommy. I really don’t mi-” He felt a hand wrap around his forearm, not tight enough to hurt, but firm enough to keep him in place.

“No, Newt, really. Thank you.” His tone had gone from playful to incredibly serious so fast that Newt nearly got whiplash.

Newt stared at him suspiciously, “You’re welcome.” The words had sounded unsure, but Thomas took it as an appropriate answer and smiled immediately after.

“Great!” He checked his phone, “Well, I have about an hour before I have to go, you wanna play Mario Kart? Or Smash? Whatever you’d like.”

Newt sat down and grabbed the remotes, “Mario Kart. What else?”

Thomas grinned before jumping over and onto the couch. “You only wanna play that cause you know you can beat me.”

Newt turned and deadpanned, “You are absolutely right. Now let’s get to it, I’d love to see my name in 1st place on the leaderboard.” Thomas gave him a shove and they both laughed. 

-

The game had gone on as it usually did, Newt winning nearly all of them, constant trash-talking, and occasional bursts of laughter. There was one game, though, that Newt lost. It wasn’t because of his inability to drive, it was his inability to focus. He couldn’t help but look over at Thomas, the boy who would bite down on his lip in concentration, stick his tongue out the corner of his mouth when he focused intently, and his fingers smashing down on the buttons, it was all too distracting. 

_What the hell is wrong with me?_ He had asked himself this question multiple times as of late. He would often find himself staring at his best friend for a little too long to be normal or think about him in some rather _unsavory_ ways. This had never happened before, not at all. Newt knew he liked guys, he always had, but this was… different. This was about his best friend, this was about _Tommy_. He dismissed it, choosing to believe that everyone thought of their friends like this at some point. 

The hour that they had ended, sneaking up on them and cutting their time short mid-game. 

“Oh come on,” Newt raised his hands in a semi-frustrated gesture, “She can wait a few more minutes, we’re almost done with this race!” He begged and pleaded with Thomas, giving him the best puppy eyes he could until he finally succumbed.

“Alright, fine.” He pointed a warning finger at Newt, “But if I’m late and she gets mad, I’m blaming it on you.” 

Newt smirked and glanced over at him, “Worth it.” He could see the shift in Thomas’ features, switching from common amusement into what appeared as incredibly pleased, as if he had gotten something he wanted. Newt brushed it off and turned his attention to the screen, determined to win this last battle. Newt was competitive and it didn’t matter who stood in his way, he was going to beat them. 

But despite all that, he lost. He had once again failed to focus on the game, too preoccupied with his desperation to stare at Thomas for as long as he could. Thomas cheered as he finished in 1st place, barely passing Newt up. “Ha!,” he cheered, “Who knew the legendary Newt could be defeated?” He grinned as Newt pushed him. “I’m sorry,” he started, clearly wanting to add more to the statement, “Sorry that I’m better than you! Ohhh!” He howled with giggles spilling from his lips. Newt was tempted to shut him up by kissing him but decided against it after a moment’s consideration. 

“Oh yeah, yeah,” Newt rolled his eyes, “Get over yourself there, Tommy.”

Once he had finished his laughter, he rose from the couch, heading towards the door and coat rack. “Unfortunately, the time has come for me to leave,” He looked solemnly at Newt, apologising with his eyes. “Sorry I have to go so soon.” He shrugged on his coat, not noticing how his collar was somewhat raised and uneven. 

Newt scrambled up, “Wait!” Thomas turned around with a confused look, “Come here.” He did as told and Newt decided to meet him in the middle, taking a few strides of his own. He lifted his hands slowly to Thomas’ collar, putting it back in place. “Your collar was all messed up,” he smiled at Thomas, “All better now though.” He patted the top of his chest, hands resting there for a while. 

They both stilled for a few seconds, not wanting to disturb their peaceful yet intoxicating moment. If one of them leaned just an inch closer they would be almost kissing. _You could just do it,_ his mind noted. _He’s about to go on a date, don’t do that._ It was like having a real angel and devil on his shoulders, sending him mixed signals on what he should and shouldn’t do. Newt would knock them off himself if they were actually there. 

“Newt I-...” He took a deep breath. “I gotta go.” He stepped away swiftly, making a beeline for the front door. However, he stopped just before he stepped out, “See you later, yeah?” There was hope in his eyes. 

“Course,” Newt stated, fully intending to pursue his agreement. “Bye, Tommy. Have fun.” The last words left a bitter taste in his mouth, but as long as Thomas was happy, Newt didn’t care what he did with others. No matter how badly he wished he would do those things with him. Thomas’ lip quirked as he closed the door behind him.

Once he was gone Newt went to his room and groaned, sprawling out onto his bed. _Why am I like this?_ He asked himself. _First, I’m a jealous tosser, being extremely passive-aggressive, and then I’m telling him to ‘have fun’? I make no sense,_ he admonished himself. He knew he was acting bizarre but he couldn’t help it. And Thomas was bound to know by now. Bound to know that Newt had what was comparable to a schoolgirl crush on him. He sighed, pulling the covers over himself and turning off his bedside lamp. It was still fairly early but he could use a catnap. It gave his body a chance to rest while his mind took a break, only leaving him to dream and forget about his current problems. 

He dreamt of Thomas. 

# ~

"Hey, Tommy," Newt spoke aloud as he heard the door open without a knock. “You’re just in time for dinner.”

"Hey," Thomas said nonchalantly as he shrugged his coat off. He hung it on the rack and took off his shoes before sitting down on the couch. 

Newt stirred the soup he was making, coincidentally it was chicken noodle soup, which was Thomas’ favourite. “So, where have you been all week?” He hadn’t visited Newt in what felt like forever, it made the flat feel empty and boring. 

“Out.”

“Out? That’s it? You’re not going to give me any juicy details?” He joked, it was off-putting that Thomas was being this quiet.

“There’s not much to tell, really,” He grinned when Newt gave him a bowl of soup, “Thanks. It’s almost like you knew I was coming over. Do you have psychic powers I don’t know about?” He laughed as Newt joined him on the couch.

“And what about Brenda?” Newt looked down into his soup. He was secretly hoping that it hadn’t worked out. If it did work out then that meant he would’ve seen less of Thomas and Newt would hate that. He knew it was selfish, but he couldn’t help himself. 

Thomas hummed, sipping his soup, “She’s okay. We decided to just be friends.” 

Newt nearly choked on his soup, “Really? You seemed really excited about going out with her.” He tried to keep the smile off his face. 

“Eh, it just didn’t work out,” He explained. This was once again unusual for Thomas, normally he would be at least a little upset. But now he was just acting as if it never happened. 

“Didn’t work out?” Thomas nodded his head. “Okay…” Newt eyed him suspiciously. “Do you mind if I ask why?” 

It took him a minute to answer, “There’s not really a specific reason why, I think we both thought that it would be weird. She is really cool though,” the corner of his mouth turned up, ”You’d probably like her.”

Newt hummed in response. _Odd, but I’m not complaining._ It was awkwardly quiet for a few minutes so Newt broke the silence, “So… what do you wanna do?” 

Thomas stared off into space, presumably thinking. (You never know with him.) “We could watch another movie.” 

One would think that they’d be tired of watching movies, seeing as they watched at least one every time Thomas came over. And that was nearly every day of the week. “Sounds good to me. What kind?”

Thomas smirked at him, “Scary.” Newt groaned, he wasn’t that fond of horror movies. He was the person that jumped and yelped at almost everything. “I know, I know, but they’re so good!” Newt glared at him. “I’ll pick one that isn’t too scary, promise.” There were those puppy eyes again. _Fuck._

“Fine.” 

Thomas cheered before letting out an ‘oof’ when Newt threw the controller at him, hitting him square in the chest. “Ow!” Newt stuck his tongue out at him. Thomas rolled his eyes and picked up the controller. He ended up deciding on Insidious. Newt hadn’t seen it so he looked at Thomas distrustfully, “It’s good, I swear.” 

Newt nodded and went to the kitchen to prepare some snacks, “Anything you’d like in particular?” 

“You got any sour patch kids?” 

He did. Newt didn’t like them but he knew Thomas did so he kept a small stash for him, ready to go at any time. “Course I do. I’ll make popcorn too.” Thomas let out a whoop of excitement, causing Newt to chuckle. _What a dork._

He came back with the snacks in hand and passed some over to Thomas before grabbing a blanket and throwing it over himself, getting comfortable. Thomas let out a small whine, “I’m cold too.” Newt sighed and moved to get up and grab Thomas his own blanket but Thomas grabbed him by the wrist. “You don’t have to get me my own… we could just share, you know.”

Heat rushed to Newt’s cheeks, “Oh, okay,” he mumbled. He sat down next to Thomas, closer this time, and draped the blanket across them. They had to scoot closer to each other due to the small size of the blanket. “Better?”

“Much,” he affirmed and snuggled closer as the movie began. 

-

Thomas had lied when he said it wasn’t that scary, it was. There were multiple jump scares that had Newt dropping his popcorn at times. And each time he did, he would throw a piece at Thomas as punishment. The jump scares also led to them inching closer and closer. 

About midway through the movie, there was one jump scare where a demon popped up behind the dad, causing Newt to nearly jump out of his skin. Without realising, he had latched onto Thomas, grasping him in a firm grip, and hiding his face in his shoulder. “What the fuck…” he was still breathing heavily, trying to calm his heart rate. 

“You okay?” Thomas was staring at him with a concerned yet amused look in his eyes. Newt got lost in them momentarily. 

“Huh?” He glanced down and noticed how tight he was holding onto Thomas and went to release him, “Oh, yeah, I’m good, sorry.”

Now it was Thomas' turn to latch onto Newt, “No,” Newt eyed him apprehensively, “Uh, I mean stay here, it’s warmer,” he let out a nervous laugh, “Body heat and all that.” 

Newt could only nod and hum. He replaced his hands on Thomas’ arm (loosely this time) and laid his head on his shoulder. Thomas moved arm to behind Newt, allowing him to get closer and lean into him more. “You’re like a human heater, I don’t know how you’re cold right now.”

Thomas shrugged as much as he could without disturbing Newt “I just am I guess. You keep your apartment freezing anyway.”

Newt gave him a small smack on the chest, “It’s not _that_ cold,” he defended.

“Newt. I can see the thermostat from here and it says 68 degrees.”

“Exactly! That’s not cold.”

“It’s freezing, Newt. That combined with the cold weather outside? It’s basically an icebox in here.” 

“Is not.”

Thomas chuckled, “Whatever you say.” 

Newt smiled as they continued watching the movie. And he may have been guilty of using the scares to get closer to Thomas, but he would deny that if anyone asked. 

# ~

"Fuck." Newt looked out the window, "It’s like a blizzard out there." He sighed and limped to his couch, falling down with dramatic flare. 

“You alright?” Thomas inquired from the kitchen. 

“Yeah, leg just hurts.” He moved to rub his ankle. “Cold weather doesn’t help.” 

Thomas returned from the kitchen, patting him on the head and passing him a warm mug of tea, gratefully accepted by Newt’s cold hands. “Here. This might help.” Newt smiled gratefully, receiving one in return. Thomas sat down by his feet, “Do you want me to…” he motioned towards Newt’s ankle, signaling that he was willing to massage the old injury. 

Newt nodded and almost moaned when Thomas started, rolling his head back in satisfaction. “How are you so good at this?” 

Thomas shrugged, “Strong hands.” Newt could not agree more. 

He eventually did let out a small groan when Thomas hit the right spot, “Right there.” He sipped his tea and peered over his mug at Thomas, noticing the pink tint on his cheeks. _Wonder how far I can go with this,_ he thought. “That feels good,” he smirked as the blush deepened. “Just a little bit harder,” Thomas’ hands stilled, “Keep going,” Newt whined. Thomas gave him an odd look, somewhere between angry and embarrassed. “C’mon, Tommy, don’t stop.” He wiggled his leg. 

Thomas shook his head, “Newt,” he warned. 

Newt couldn’t hold back anymore, he burst into a fit of laughter. “I’m sorry… I’m sorry, it’s just, you’re so much fun to mess with,” he could barely form a sentence between his guffawing. “I’m sorry…” he muttered as he calmed down. He still couldn’t wipe the smile from his face. 

“You’re such an ass,” Thomas complained, but he had a grin on his face as well. He smacked Newt’s foot before continuing. 

Newt chuckled, “Yeah, but you love me.” He could feel Thomas freeze for a moment. _Shouldn’t have said that,_ he noted. _Now you’ve made it awkward._ He broke the silence, “Umm, so do you wanna do anything?” 

Thomas turned and looked at him with bright eyes, “We could decorate!” He slid Newt’s legs off him carefully before jumping up and heading to one of Newt’s closets. “It’s almost Christmas and you _still_ haven’t decorated? Blasphemous!” He started pulling out the few boxes of decorations Newt had. He wasn’t the best at decorating for the holidays so he usually just left it alone.

“Okay,” he mumbled and hopped off the car, noticing how his ankle didn’t hurt anymore. “What are we doing first?” He stretched and popped his back before striding over to join Thomas at the cabinet. 

Thomas handed him the box of wreaths, stockings, and other various things that needed to be hung, “These.”

Newt glanced at him before carrying the box over to the table and going through it, grabbing what he needed, “We’re not going to start with the tree?” 

Thomas stopped in his tracks and turned to face him, a disbelieving look on his face, “You do the tree _last,_ Newt. It’s always the last thing you do.”

Newt chuckled, “Is it? I was never one for decorating.” He grabbed nails and a hammer. 

“Clearly,” Thomas scoffed. 

Newt grinned, “Well, that’s why I have you, isn’t it? My own little holiday decorator.” 

“Yup!” Thomas sounded overjoyed at the premise of his new job. “Oh! We gotta listen to Christmas music! Where’s your speaker?” He spun in circles looking for it until Newt told him. 

“It’s on my bedside table,” He giggled when Thomas came back with his speaker in hand, skipping like a child. “This really is your favourite holiday isn’t it?”

“That obvious huh?” Thomas put on a random playlist and music filled the flat. Newt couldn’t lie, he was enjoying it. “Wait!” Newt turned around just in time for Thomas to put a Santa hat on his head. “Perfect,” he smiled. 

Newt looked for another one, finding it on top of the ornaments box. He held it behind his back, “Hey, Tommy, come over here and look at this.” He pretended to be surveying some random object. Thomas hummed as he joined him, searching for whatever Newt had called him over. When he couldn’t find it he looked to Newt in confusion. “You forgot yours.” Newt swung the hat from behind his back to set it on Thomas’ head. “Now we match,” he stated. 

Thomas smirked, beginning to form a comeback but was stopped when ‘All I want for Christmas is You’ came over the speaker, his face immediately forming into one of shocked glee. “ _I don't want a lot for Christmas, there is just one thing I need, I don't care about the presents, underneath the Christmas tree, I just want you for my own, more than you could ever know, make my wish come true, all I want for Christmas is youuuuuu,_ ” he began to sing, including all the riffs and pauses. 

“You’re a complete show-off,” Newt told him as he continued on as if Newt had never said a thing. 

“ _I don't want a lot for Christmas, there is just one thing I need, and I don't care about the presents underneath the Christmas tree,_ ” He motioned to Newt, prompting him to join. Newt shook his head. He would rather watch Thomas sing and dance along to silly Christmas music than ruin everything with his horrible voice. Thomas went on, grabbing Newt by the arms to make him dance with him. “ _I don't need to hang my stocking, thereupon the fireplace, Santa Claus won't make me happy with a toy on Christmas day!_ ” Newt laughed with him and gave in, dancing along to the music. 

“ _I just want you for my own, more than you could ever know, make my wish come true, all I want for Christmas is you,_ ” Thomas sang the chorus, hitting every note and Newt was amazed. He decided to join in for the backup vocals, making Thomas’ grin grow impossibly wider. Thomas’ eyes were shining and his cheeks were pink from the exertion, _he looks beautiful,_ Newt thought while trying to commit this picture to memory. “ _I won't ask for much this Christmas, I won't even wish for snow, and I- I just wanna keep on waiting, underneath the mistletoe,_

_“I won't make a list and send it to the North Pole for Saint Nick, I won't even stay awake to Hear those magic reindeer click,_ ” He spun them in a circle, “ _'Cause I just want you here tonight, holding on to me so tight, what more can I do? Oh, baby all I want for Christmas is you!_

_“All the lights are shining, so brightly everywhere, and the sound of children's laughter fills the air, and everyone is singing, I hear those sleigh bells ringing, Santa won't you bring me the one I really need, won't you please bring my baby to me?_ ” They were hopping around now, giggling almost every second. “ _I don't want a lot for Christmas, this is all I'm asking for, I just wanna see my baby Standing right outside my door!_

_“I just want you for my own, more than you could ever know,”_ He picked Newt up and spun them in a circle again, making Newt dizzy, but he couldn’t care less at that moment. “ _Make my wish come true, baby all I want for Christmas is youuu!_ ” He dragged the note out along with the song, spinning them faster, almost falling over in the process. “ _All I want for Christmas is you, baby!”_ he repeated as the song faded out.

They were both grinning like lunatics at the end of it all, slightly out of breath and pressed against each other. "You're absolutely mad," Newt murmured. 

"But you like it," Thomas' eyes scanned his face, "Don't you?"

"I do." They stood and stared at each other, unmoving. Newt cleared his throat when the pause became too long, "We uh, we better keep going."

Thomas seemed as if he was snapped out of a very serious train of thought, "Oh, yeah." He stepped away and went back to the decorations. Newt felt cold at the loss of body heat. 

-

Thomas clapped his hands, "The time has come for the tree," he stated, serious as ever. He grabbed Newt by the arm, dragged him over, and handed him the box of ornaments. "Here." 

"You're taking this quite seriously, aren't you?"

"This is _serious_ _business_ , Newt. This is the _Christmas tree,_ " he deadpanned, shaking his head disappointedly. "Now, help me assemble it," he gave him a smile at the end, and Newt couldn't say no to that smile. 

"Why of course, Tommy. I'd be happy to." And so they sat there, putting together the tree and hanging ornaments. Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree came on at the perfect time. This was one of Newt's favourites so he was the one to sing first. 

" _Rockin' around the Christmas tree, at the Christmas party hop, mistletoe hung where you can see, every couple tries to stop, rockin' around the Christmas tree, let the Christmas spirit ring, later we'll have some pumpkin pie, and we'll do some caroling.”_ He peeked around the side of the tree to see Thomas trying to bite back a grin at Newt’s awful tone. “Oh, come on, Tommy,” he nudged him, “I thought you loved this stuff?” 

Thomas nodded and sang the second verse. _“You will get a sentimental feeling when you hear, voices singing, let's be jolly, deck the halls with boughs of holly, rockin' around the Christmas tree, have a happy holiday, everyone dancin' merrily, in the new old-fashioned way,”_ They were dancing again, but only slightly, twisting their way around the tree, still trying to hang ornaments here and there. 

They sang the last verse together, “ _You will get a sentimental feeling when you hear, voices singing, let's be jolly, deck the halls with boughs of holly, rockin' around the Christmas tree, have a happy holiday, everyone dancin' merrily, in the new old-fashioned wayyyyy!”_ Newt bumped his hip against Thomas’ once the song ended. 

Thomas turned to him, “Never knew you could be so festive, Newtie.” 

Newt spoke without thinking, somewhat regretting it afterward, “Yeah well, it’s easy to be festive around you. You make everything seem brighter.” His cheeks went as red as the Santa hat he was wearing.

Thomas stopped in the middle of hanging a candy cane, “Really?” he whispered.

Newt made an audible gulp, he couldn’t take it back now, “Yeah, really.” 

Newt could see Thomas’ lopsided grin and bright eyes stare at him as he tried to continue their task. 

-

“It looks amazing, Tommy. Thank you.” He clapped an arm onto Thomas' shoulder and pulled him into a side hug, squeezing him tightly as they viewed Newt’s newly decorated flat.

“Doesn’t it?” Thomas asked smugly, “You’re lucky I’m such a good decorator. This place would be boring without me.” 

Newt nodded, “It sure would.” He went closer to admire and study everything. The wreaths of green, gold, and red. The stockings lining the mantle along with tiny figurines. The green tree littered with his many ornaments and multicoloured lights. It made the place glow. It was beautiful. “Do you want some hot chocolate? Or tea? I’ve got both.”

Thomas shifted from side to side, “Actually, I’d better get going. It being the day before Christmas Eve and all, I should get home to the family, y’know?” He fiddled with his hands and looked at the floor. 

“Oh.” Newt’s shoulders slumped in sad disappointment. His clock showed 10:17 pm. It didn’t feel that late and he didn’t want Thomas to leave. “Yeah. Well, thanks for helping me decorate. I really appreciate it,” he gave him a weak upturn of his lips, not bothering to hide his dismay. 

Thomas looked up and his eyes weren’t as bright as before. “No problem, it was fun.” Newt muttered a ‘yeah’ under his breath as Thomas headed to the coat rack and pulled on his coat, hat, and gloves. “Uh, bye, I guess.” 

Newt gave him a pitiful wave, “Bye, Tommy.” Thomas nodded and withdrew to the door, ready to leave. Newt heard the door open as he sighed and turned around to place his hands on the counter, closing his eyes and breathing deeply. 

“Uhh, Newt?” He turned with a speed that could rival a lightning bolt. Thomas was standing there with the door open, staring out into the hall. “I might have to take you up on that hot chocolate.” 

The wind outside carried flurries of snowflakes, blowing them around and around before letting them fall onto the already covered ground. The snow had to be at least 2 feet deep, making it almost impossible to walk through, let alone drive. Newt had completely forgotten what the weather had looked like before. The small blizzard had left them completely snowed in, leaving Thomas no way to leave. Newt was secretly glad for it and inwardly prayed to whatever god there was as thanks. 

“Well, shit. We’re snowed in.” He still had a look of shock on his face. Baby, It’s Cold Outside began to play from the speakers, sending them both into hysterics, doubling over in laughter. “So, what were you saying about that hot chocolate?” Newt inquired as Thomas removed all of his snow gear, replacing it onto the rack. 

Thomas chuckled, “That is the definition of irony right there. I try to leave and Baby, It’s Cold Outside starts playing? Unbelievable.” 

Newt got out all the necessary ingredients required for the previously mentioned drink, “I’ll make you one, yeah?” 

“Please,” Thomas requested, “I’m gonna go call my family and tell them what’s going on.”

Newt nodded as Thomas went into the bedroom to make his phone call. Newt made the drinks, humming and mouthing the words along to the music as he did. Thomas startled him as he pulled the whipped cream out of the fridge, causing him to spin and place a hand on his chest in fright. “Don’t scare me like that, Tommy.”

Thomas was clearly trying to contain his giggles, “Sorry.” Newt glared at him. “Okay, not really, but in my defense, you should’ve seen your face!” He strolled over to join Newt at the counter, “They look good.” 

“Of course they do,” Newt declared, puffing his chest out, “I made them.” He smirked as Thomas rolled his eyes. “Here.” Newt handed Thomas a mug and watched him sip it. 

“Oh my God, it’s perfect,” he groaned. “Where did you learn to make it like this? You literally used the packet mix. What did you add?” 

Newt wiggled a finger, “It’s a trade secret.” Thomas pouted at that, begging to know how, “I’m not going to fall for that face, you know. Not this time." He glanced at the clock that now read 10:45, "It's getting late, do you want a set of sleeping clothes?” 

Thomas crossed his arms, unhappy with not finding out Newt’s secret hot chocolate recipe, “I guess.” Newt nodded and went for the promised items, bringing them back and placing them in Thomas’ hands. “Do you really always fall for my puppy eyes?” 

Newt rolled his eyes and turned away from Thomas so that he wouldn’t be able to see the tint on his cheeks. “Not _all_ the time, but yes, usually I do.” He began busying himself with something else to seem unbothered. 

“Awww, Newtie! I didn’t know I had that effect over you,” He nudged Newt and slinked forward, “What if I asked you to give me… 50 dollars?” He gave the puppy eyes. Newt shook his head no and chuckled. “What if I asked you to… buy me a new pair of shoes?” Newt had a flashback to the night Thomas was sleep talking and it made him giggle. But he shook his head again. Thomas pouted for a moment, “What if I asked you for a kiss?” 

Newt froze, _This has to be a joke, right? But what if it’s not? What if he really does want to kiss you? You’re thinking too much, he doesn’t want to kiss you, he's just joking. But what if he’s not?_ Newt had an internal debate, not being able to detect the true meaning behind Thomas’ words. 

Thomas must’ve seen the panic cross Newt’s face because he immediately recovered, “I’m only joking,” he let out a nervous laugh, “Just wanted to see how far you’d go.” 

“Ah,” was all Newt could say, completely blown away at what just happened. "I'm pretty tired, I think I'm gonna go lay down. Help yourself to the couch or anything else you'd like," He tried to smile at Thomas, it probably looked more like a grimace. "Goodnight, Tommy." He turned and zoomed towards his room, needing to get out of that situation as fast as he could. 

-

"Newt?"

He woke from his restless slumber at the mention of his name and faced the doorway. Thomas stood there, his silhouette barely visible in the dim lighting. "Tommy? Are you alright?"

Thomas shifted from side to side, "Yeah, I'm just cold."

"Oh," Newt rasped, "There're extra blankets in the closet. I think I even have a quilt in there if you'd like." He sat up slightly, the covers pooling in his lap.

"I know but… um… well I was hoping we could, y'know…"

Newt furrowed his eyebrows, "We could what?" He was too tired to make any knowledgeable connections.

Thomas groaned, "Cuddle, you idiot."

"Oh," He was definitely awake now. "Uh- um yeah i- I guess so, yeah," he stuttered. He was glad it was dark so that Thomas couldn't see the blush on his cheeks. 

Thomas padded to the bed and crawled in. He got under the covers and shifted next to Newt. He poked Newt's arm as a signal to open it. Newt did so and let Thomas rest his head on his chest. He placed his arm around Thomas while the latter wrapped a hand around Newt's waist and pulled him closer. 

"You're so warm," he hummed, snuggling impossibly closer. Newt was ridged under Thomas' touch, afraid to mess it up somehow. "And stiff, loosen up, Newt. I'm not gonna crush you."

"Sorry," he took a deep breath before relaxing. "You're just cold." _He's not cold at all, you little liar,_ he criticized himself. 

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Newt?" He quit playing their childish game, startling Newt slightly. 

"Yes?"

"Your heart is beating really fast," he stated.

"Is it?" _It's because of you._

"Yeah," he paused, "Did you mean what you said earlier? About me making everything brighter?"

Newt nodded as best he could before voicing his answer, "Yes."

"And did you mean it when you said you always fall for my puppy eyes?"

"Yes… where is this going Tommy?"

Thomas lifted his head and faced Newt, "Well, you know when I was asking you for things after you told me that?"

"I do recall you doing that."

Thomas took a deep breath, "Well, when I asked you to kiss me," he stared at Newt through lidded eyes, "I meant it."

Newt stopped breathing. "You… you did?"

Thomas smiled, "Yeah, I did, you big idiot."

"Bu- but I thought- I thought you were," Newt took a moment to compose himself, "I thought you were only joking."

Thomas rolled his eyes, "How much hinting do I have to do, Newt?"

"Hinting? I genuinely have no idea what you're talking about."

Thomas groaned and sat up a little, "I've been _hinting_ that I like you for _months_ now. You're just so oblivious that you didn't notice it!"

Newt pouted, "Hey! I'm not oblivious." Thomas gave him a warning look, "Ok, well maybe I am, but you're not very good at hinting things," he teased.

"Newt," he deadpanned, "I come over here almost every day, we watch movies, we cuddle, we dance… I mean, we might as well already be dating."

Newt was still in shock, "But… but what about Brenda? I thought you went on a date with her?"

"Brenda?" Thomas chuckled, "I've known Brenda for years, Newt. It was all staged. We literally just went over to her place and ate pizza."

"Staged? What-"

Thomas cut him off, "It was to make you jealous. To see if you would get jealous enough to tell me you felt the same." Thomas looked down before making eye contact again, "You do feel the same, don't you?"

Newt's body sunk into the mattress, "Oh, you have no idea."

Thomas grinned, "I think I do…" they stared at each other, "So?"

"So…?" Newt repeated.

"Aren't you going to kiss me?" He gave Newt his best puppy eyes. 

Newt leaned forward and connected their lips in a sweet, slow kiss. It might've been an awkward angle, considering they were both only partially laying down, but Newt couldn't have cared less. All that mattered was Tommy.

-

Newt woke with the sun and stretched his arms out in search of Thomas. He was met with cold, empty sheets. He blinked and sat up, coming to terms with the fact that it was a dream. _You pine so hard your brain tricked you into thinking it was real. It'll never happen, Newt._ He was snapped out of his disappointing thoughts when the real Thomas came in and jumped into bed with him. 

"Morning," he kissed him on the cheek and ruffled his hair, "C'mon, Newtie, I made us breakfast!" He hopped off the bed and sped to the kitchen leaving Newt stupefied. 

He crawled out of bed and followed Thomas' footsteps. He found a bowl of cereal and a glass of milk waiting for him. "You call this breakfast?" He asked with a small grin on his face. 

Thomas shrugged, "We ran out of pancake mix, give me a break," he handed Newt a spoon, "At least it's something, I could've let you starve." He gave Newt a pointed look before cracking a smile and sitting down in front of his own breakfast. "Did you sleep well?"

Newt nodded and took a bite of his cereal, "I did, and you?" He motioned toward Thomas.

"Better than I have in a while," he beamed at Newt and he had to beam back. He ate a few bites of his breakfast, “Your bed is pretty comfy, but I’m sure you know that.”

“I do. I also know that you’re really warm. Like, really, _really_ , warm.”

Thomas shrugged, “What can I say? I’m a human heater. And I pride myself on that. Besides,” he took another spoonful of his cereal, “You’re an icicle. You’re always freezing.”

Newt took offense to that, “Am not!”

“Are too.”

“Am not!”

“Are too.”

“Am-”

“Fine. But you are usually pretty cold. We can at least agree on that much, can’t we?”

Newt gave him a playful yet stiff nod, “Yes, I’ll give you that.” They both erupted into a fit of giggles, “God, we really do argue like a married couple, don’t we?”

“I suppose we do.” Thomas cleared the table, “What should we do now?”

“Go back to bed,” Newt suggested, “It’s way too early for all of this.”

“It’s 10:35,” Thomas produced upon a glance at the clock.

“Exactly,” Newt said pointedly, “Too early.” He stood to make the journey back into his room, “Come on,” he held out a hand for Thomas to take. He did, practically skipping on his way over. They were about to enter Newt’s bedroom when Thomas pulled him back, leaving them right in the middle of the doorway. “Tommy, what-” 

“Look up.” Above them was a cluster of mistletoe. One that Newt did not recall hanging. 

Newt looked at him in surprise, “When did you have the time to hang mistletoe?”

Thomas gave him a sly grin, “While you were sleeping. Maybe.” He shifted and grasped Newt’s hands in his, “Merry Christmas. Well, Christmas eve, I guess,” he recovered.

Newt couldn’t stop the smile finding its way to his face if he’d tried, “Merry Christmas, Tommy. Who knew puppy eyes could be so effective?”

“I did.”

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to tell me what you think :) <3


End file.
